A Year Later
by laurawillows
Summary: Continuation of 'An Unusually Usual Start'.  A sweet epilogue of how their relationship has progressed within the past year; Minerva has planned a second Masquerade Ball.


She was running late! Of all days to be late, today was not the day. She had somewhere to be and her being there was imperative!

But her hair would simply not cooperate. It didn't matter in what manner she tried to straighten it, her unruly curls wouldn't comply. Not to mention the situation with her dress, and still having to do her makeup! Why didn't she let someone help her get ready for this big day?

Giving up on her hair, she turned to her dress and started fiddling her wand at it. Slowly, it faded to a powdered blue, and the shape dropped to a slim fitting one. Perfect, at least something was going right.

The young woman slid the dress on and admired herself in the mirror. It looked dazzling on her. He had no hope of being made at her for being late if she showed up like this.

Finally the woman looked back to the vanity and picked up her wand with determination. This would go well. And with a brisk flick, her hair smoothed out to wave down her back in vivid red tresses.

Hermione Granger sighed with relief, and gently put on some light make up. She grinned into her mirror again, tonight would be fun.

And without a look back, she skipped up of her room barefoot down the halls of Hogwarts towards the Great Hall for the second Masquerade Yule Ball.

~/\~

The feeling was just starting to manifest as a man dressed in casual Victorian era clothes waited patiently by the doors to the Great Hall. His dark blue pants were tucked into his boots, with a contrasting cream colored shirt tucked in but partially unbuttoned. His black hair was cropped short, and handsome face waited with a slight smile for the woman to whom he was matched with.

Severus knew who it was, of course. He and Hermione had planned out their Little Mermaid costumes to perfection. She had even made him read the original fairy tale before dragging him to her parents house to watch the toned down Disney version of the story. It was almost funny how close their own story was to Prince Eric and Ariel's. He quiet enjoyed this year's theme, not that he would tell Hermione.

The past year that they had spent together had been one of the best of Severus' miserable life. She was so full of light, and joy, and brought it to him at every possible moment. Their start had been awkward, having quiet dinners together whenever they could manage, or walking patrols along side one another. Severus wasn't sure how to act in a relationship and was very cautious about not messing anything up. Hermione then surprised him one night with taking him out to dinner and the theatre. It had been a gloriously romantic night, completed with a hand held walk around the lake before ending in a passionate embrace in his quarters. From there, their relationship became much more honest and open. Severus was outgoing with her, taking her on short weekend trips, or simply sitting companionably with her while they read. His general mood was lighter, much to the shock of all of his students and most of his colleagues. Hermione was constant smiles when he was around. Over their summer break, Severus invited her to a villa in the south of France that he owned. Their days spent there were amazing, just the two of them. Every once in a while they would venture out to the nearby village, only to scurry back quickly and fall into a much used bed. When they had returned to Hogwarts he was almost nervous as to how Hermione would react to being back in wizarding society, but Severus had nothing to fear. She was content to be around him as much as possible, spending most nights in his quarters instead of her own.

He felt eyes on him, breaking him out of his reverie, and turned to look up the stairs to see a red haired vision glowing down at him.

With a vibrant smile, she descended the stairs with her bare feet, holding out her hand for him to take. Severus smirked with pleasure, knowing that just like last year, every man would be jealous of him with this radiant witch on his arm.

"Hello Prince," she grinned at her pet name for him. A play on words from his mothers maiden name, and this year's costume choice.

"My dear," he whispered with a chivalrous kiss to the back of her hand, then turned it over and kissed her palm, "my vision of perfection from the sea."

"Severus!" she chided halfheartedly.

"No, no, I'm Prince Eric tonight, my darling Ariel," he held her hand tight as he pulled her into the Great Hall, finding their table from the previous year.

She chuckled and followed him dutifully through the crowd.

~/\~

Their night had gone well. They sat and joked about all of the young couples in the Hall, and some of the elder couples.

"Dance with me?" he leaned over and whispered into her ear, lips barely touching the outer rim. She shivered and turned her face towards him with a sly grin.

"Always," Severus pulled her up by her hand and led her to the dance floor, holding her tight, and slowly leading her through a waltz.

She smiled up at him, her brown eyes softly looking into his. Severus couldn't look away, and allowed his own affection towards her shine through. Today marked one year from when they first started seeing each other, and Severus had to marvel at how much of a change the vibrant woman in his arms had made in him. He was no longer unnecessarily cruel to his colleagues, or some of the more intellectual students, he had learned how to relax, and feel emotion other than anger, or wicked glee. Hermione had wriggled her way into his life, and was not leaving anytime soon. Severus could tell by the tender look in her eye.

"One year ago today, Hermione," the hand on her lower back pressed her closer.

"We finally got a chance to know one another," her smile was wide as he spun her around the dance floor.

"That we did," his borrowed features smirked down at her and then turned quiet serious, "Hermione, I love you."

"I know," she beamed up at him. He almost faltered at her quick response.

"You knew? What do you mean, you knew?" Severus narrowed his eyes down at her.

"Well, its quiet easy to read the signs," she began to explain, "You let me into your life. We spent much of our summer holiday away together, we spend most nights together. Even when I'm being quiet horrid, you are content to just weather out my storm and willing to help clean up the aftermath. We sleep together, and not just sex, although that is great," she winked at him, "The way you hold me as we sleep, well; there is no other way to describe how you make me feel, and if one of us feels it, I'm certain the other does too."

"Is that some sort of round about way of telling me that you feel the same way?" he had caught onto the last part of her statement. She grinned again.

"Severus, my tooth brush is in your bathroom. Most of my books have made it onto your shelves, and I am the only other person in this school able to get past the wards on your room, no less not get hexed once inside. It's painfully obvious how in love I am to you," Severus could hardly breathe at the emotion conveyed with her words and her eyes. She was absolutely correct every point. Two very guarded people had inadvertently broken down each other's defenses, and accepted the other in their lives. He suddenly knew that this was the moment to do what he had planned for later.

Severus gripped her hand tightly as he pulled the laughing witch out to the steps by the Great Hall.

"Sit," he said commandingly once he had pulled her a ways up.

"What are you doing Severus?" she asked as she complied with his wish. He watched her carefully from a few feet down as a distant bell started to toll the midnight hour. His beloved's face and hair reverted back to what he was used to seeing, and she smiled while watching his face become that which she had come to know as so dear to her long ago.

"Hermione Granger," he slowly knelt down, digging a hand in his pocket, "Marry me?" slowly, his revealed a classically cut diamond on a thin silver band nestled in a velvet box.

Her voice caught in her throat as she saw the open expression on his face, and the offer of a life she had never dreamed of being able to have just over a year ago.

Hermione mouthed yes, over and over again until her voice worked, well after he had secured the ring on her finger, and held her tenderly while they stood on the stair.

"I love you Severus," her eyes were bright as she pulled herself up on her bare toes with his shoulders in order press her lips soundly to his.

When they pulled apart, Severus almost had a look of boyish rapture on his face. He again took her hand and started leading her down the stairs.

"Come, let's send the children to bed so that we may celebrate properly," Severus was back in his fully glorified dreaded Potions Master mode as he swept her into the Great Hall, scowling at the lagging students and bumbling professors as they quickly worked on cleaning up the room. He deflected everyone from talking to them, wanting to finish as quickly as possible and get his witch someplace acceptable to celebrate. Namely his rooms.

"Severus," Hermione said laughingly at his dramatic haste in getting their duties done, "It's okay to slow down a bit. We have the rest of our lives to celebrate," she smiled lovingly up at him.

"Yes, but I've spent too much time waiting for this moment to have patience," he growled down to her. Hermione couldn't help but laugh and follow along as they completed setting rights to the house tables, and then proceeded to drag her out of the Great Hall and down to the dungeons. Once they neared his rooms, he lifted her slight frame up into his arms, much to her squealed protests.

"What are you doing!" she exclaimed and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Ensuring that you do not get side tracked on the way to my bed," he speedily strode towards his quarters, enjoying her laugh as she allowed him to continue on with his possessive antics.

"Oh my," she giggled as he swiftly deposited her on the bed, and then was upon her with a swift fierce kiss.

"Indeed," he said as he broke, then swiftly dove back in, marveling that he was going to spend the rest of his life with the amazing witch that saved his life, and then gave him a reason to live it.

_**This chapter is for all of those wonderful reviews, alerts and favorites that you all gave me. Thank you for your continued support! Their theme for this story was inspired by the classical tale of The Little Mermaid as stated and was first penned by Hans Christian Anderson. The original of the story is wonderful if you have never read it.**_


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